Chesterfield County Public Schools -

Coffee & Conversation offers connections

Coffee & Conversation is an easy way to connect with experts offering advice on topics helpful to parents. The free online gatherings take place 1-2 p.m. See the full schedule and register here for topics of your choice:

• Oct. 30 topic is “The College Mindset.”
• Nov. 6 topic is “Real Ways to Handle Peer Pressure.”
• Nov. 20 topic is “Supporting Your Child’s Self-Esteem.”
• Dec. 4 topic is “Managing Screen Time.”
• Dec. 11 topic is “Recognizing the Signs of Human Trafficking.”

When to expect first report cards for 2024-25

The first nine weeks of this school year ended Oct. 23 for students at every school except Bellwood Elementary, which follows a year-round calendar. On Nov. 8, printed report cards will be issued to students and digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE at every school except Bellwood Elementary (where report cards were issued Oct. 16).

• Parents can find easy-to-follow directions for accessing ParentVUE online. ParentVUE is also available as a free app from the App Store and Google Play. Parents who do not have access to ParentVUE should contact their child’s school to get login information.
• Get more information about report cards here.

Dates set for 2025 graduations

Keep your eyes on the prize, class of 2025! Here is your graduation schedule:

• May 19: Matoaca High at 9 a.m. at Virginia State University and Thomas Dale High at 3 p.m. at Virginia Commonwealth University
• May 20 at Virginia Commonwealth University: Monacan High at 9:30 a.m. and Clover Hill High at 2 p.m.
• May 21 at Virginia Commonwealth University: Manchester High at 9:30 a.m. and Cosby High at 2 p.m.
• May 22 at Virginia Commonwealth University: James River High at 9:30 a.m. and Bird High at 2 p.m.
• May 23 at Virginia Commonwealth University: Meadowbrook High at 9:30 a.m. and Midlothian High at 2 p.m.
• May 28 at Career and Technical Center @ Hull: Carver College and Career Academy (time to be determined)

Graduating seniors will receive tickets to share with family and friends. The ceremonies are not open to the public but will be livestreamed.

Student holidays

• Nov. 4-5 student holidays: At every Chesterfield County school, students will be on holiday Nov. 4-5. Also, parent-teacher conferences will take place Nov. 4.
• Complete student calendars for 2024-25 are available on this webpage, including English and Spanish versions of the regular school year calendar and the year-round calendar for Bellwood Elementary.

Put the brakes on misbehavior on school buses

Oct. 21-25 is National School Bus Safety Week. This seems like a good week to share a video reminding students about what to do and what not to do on school buses.

Learn about bullying prevention

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, making this a great time to talk about bullying and what to do if it happens. Watch this CCPS in the Know video to learn more about bullying prevention. Do you have a question that you’d like answered via CCPS in the Know? This video series gives quick-but-helpful insights into central Virginia's largest school system. If you have a question for CCPS in the Know, then ask it here. We’ll cover as many topics as we can. You can see all of the videos via this playlist, with captions available in English and in Spanish for each video.

Congrats to National Merit Semifinalists!

• Thirteen Chesterfield County Public Schools students have been named National Merit Semifinalists:
• From Bird High School: Kartikeya Goel
• From Clover Hill High School: Dylan W. Dickerson, Sarayu Mandalapu and Benjamin P. Merkel
• From Cosby High School: David H. Pennington
• From Midlothian High School: Sabrina I. Gernhardt
• From Monacan High School: Malcolm D. Schildroth
• From Appomattox Regional Governor’s School: Agastyya Kala and Ainsley Ogilvie
• From Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School: Michael Klausner, Samantha Schappert, Brenden Stremler and Reese Wu

About 16,000 high school seniors across the country were selected as National Merit Semifinalists this year. They rose to the top of the 1.3 million students who entered the program by taking the PSAT in their junior year. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. These academically talented students now have an opportunity to compete for scholarships that will be offered in the spring.

Specialty center fairs and open houses offer info for eighth grade families

Each fall, Chesterfield County Public Schools eighth graders explore their options for high school and decide whether or not to apply to a specialty center, governor’s school or regional technology school. This video gives an overview of how those schools provide unique opportunities to explore special interests. Complete information about the application process is provided at bit.ly/CCPSoptions. That includes the online application form, links to specialty center websites and everything eighth graders need to know about the process. Here are important dates to keep in mind:

• Online application opened Oct. 1 and closes Dec. 6 for specialty centers and governor’s schools.
• Online application opens Jan. 6 and closes Feb. 14 for CodeRVA.

Informational fairs and open houses offer opportunities for eighth grade families to visit those schools. Here are upcoming dates:

• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 informational fair at Clover Hill High (13301 Kelly Green Drive) featuring information about all high school options for eighth graders in Chesterfield County Public Schools
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 open house for Governor’s Academy for Health Professions and Therapies at Monacan High (11501 Smoketree Drive)
• 6 p.m. Oct. 15 open house for CodeRVA Regional High School (2601 Durham St. in Richmond)
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 open house for Humanities Specialty Center at Monacan High (11501 Smoketree Drive)
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 open house for International Baccalaureate at Meadowbrook High (4901 Cogbill Road); this International Baccalaureate program is for students zoned for Bird, Thomas Dale, Manchester, Matoaca and Meadowbrook high schools
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 open house for International Baccalaureate at Midlothian High (401 Charter Colony Parkway); this International Baccalaureate program is for students zoned for Clover Hill, Cosby, James River, Midlothian and Monacan high schools
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 open house for Meadowbrook Academy for Developing Entrepreneurs at Meadowbrook High (4901 Cogbill Road)
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 open house for Center for Spanish Immersion at Manchester High (12601 Bailey Bridge Road)
• 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 open house for Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology (512 W. Washington St. in Petersburg)

Free online tutoring via Stride is available for grades 3-12

Free online tutoring is now available for students in grades 3-12 via Stride Tutoring. To provide this service, Chesterfield County Public Schools is using funds available through the Virginia Department of Education’s ALL In initiative as well as other funding sources. Students can access free tutoring through Stride as long as funds are available. To access Stride Tutoring, students along with their families should go to the backpack icon on the RapidIdentity dashboard using their CCPS-issued Chromebook. Click the Stride Tutoring icon under the “District Applications” heading. No additional login credentials are required. Students can reserve time for online video meetings with tutors licensed in subject areas in which they need additional support. Students and families select a tutor based on expertise and availability to fit their schedule, with tutoring available in the evenings and on weekends. Students do not need a teacher referral to schedule a tutoring session. There is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions at this time. Information is available at oneccps.org/tutors.

Gifted education referrals for students in grades 2-12

Gifted learners are students who show the potential for advanced thinking and reasoning, creativity and high achievement. So that schools can support, challenge, enrich and engage gifted students, Chesterfield County Public Schools conducts an annual referral process to identify gifted students. Students are evaluated during the current school year for services that will formally begin in the 2025-26 school year.

• Parents, teachers, community members, and students can refer a student for gifted evaluation by filling out this online form.
• Oct. 25 is the deadline to refer students currently in grades 2-12 in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
• Oct. 25 is also the deadline to refer students in grades 2-12 who are not enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools but who are residents of Chesterfield County.
• For more information, check out the gifted education overview and the gifted education webpage.

What to do when problems arise

Everyone within Chesterfield County Public Schools works to support students and help them grow into strong young people. When problems arise that get in the way of learning, schools want to connect with students and families to solve those problems. But we can only solve problems that we know about, so communicating to school staff members is how problem-solving starts. That’s the topic of this CCPS in the Know video. Bonus: This easy-to-understand chart is a handy reference. Do you have a question that you’d like answered via CCPS in the Know? This video series gives quick-but-helpful insights into central Virginia's largest school system. If you have a question for CCPS in the Know, then ask it here. We’ll cover as many topics as we can. You can see all of the videos via this playlist, with captions available in English and in Spanish for each video on our YouTube channel.

County libraries will forgive fines Sept. 12-16

Are fines keeping you from fully accessing everything the Chesterfield Public Library has to offer? Read Away Your Fines! Stop by any Chesterfield County library Sept. 12-16, read for 30 minutes and tell a staff member about what you read. It’s that simple, so don't let fines hold you back any longer. This opportunity is open to anyone with an overdue fine with the Chesterfield Public Library. Find your nearest location via this webpage.

Students: Your presence matters

This is Attendance Awareness Month, and we want students to know that their presence matters. When students are in school, they help create a vibrant and complete learning environment. Chesterfield County Public Schools is here to support families and ensure every student is able to show up ready to learn in class.

Registration is open for free PSAT and SAT prep sessions

The PSAT Academy is free and open to Chesterfield County Public Schools high school students who want to prepare for the PSAT exam that high schools administer for free each October. Register here for the Sept. 23-26 PSAT Academy. Registration closes Sept. 18.

The SAT Academy is free and available to Chesterfield County Public Schools high school students who want to prepare for college entrance exams. While there is no cost for the academy, students must purchase this study guide from the store or online site of their choice: Princeton Review Digital SAT Premium Prep, 2025 (ISBN 9780593517529). Register here for the Sept. 23-26 SAT Academy. Registration closes Sept. 18.

More information is available on this webpage.

Partnership with police department

Chesterfield County Public Schools and the Chesterfield County Police Department have a close connection, working as partners to protect students and school staff members. A memorandum of understanding, which is updated regularly, provides a framework for the partnership. The Chesterfield County School Board invites public comment on an updated memorandum of understanding.

• To read the draft updated memorandum, click this link or copy the url and paste it into your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LPF2X_l5E4aZPXf7CYW3NLk2W0-XVZdD/view
• Email comments to ccpsinfo@ccpsnet.net before Aug. 4.

Award-winning teachers

Congratulations to CCPS world language Teachers of the Year:

• Jane Baskerville Excellence in Teaching Award: Tessa Wilkey, German teacher at Manchester High
• Jane Crouch-Rieder Excellence in Teaching Award: Amira Moncada-Ossorio, Spanish and heritage teacher at Midlothian High
• Exceptional World Language Leader Award: Kelly Burleson, Latin teacher and world languages department leader at Manchester Middle
• Novice Teacher Award: Nic Barker, Spanish teacher at Clover Hill High

Outstanding teachers

Congratulations to CCPS Visual Arts Teachers of the Year:

• Elementary Visual Art Educator of the Year: Bridget Hendricks of Old Hundred Elementary
• Middle School Visual Art Educator of the Year: Lydia Walters of Elizabeth Davis Middle
• High School Visual Art Educator of the Year: Vicki Kirtley of Clover Hill High

You’re the tops!

Congratulations to CCPS Performing Arts Teachers of the Year:

• Performing Arts Leadership Award: Rob Ellis, Cosby High theater teacher and department chair for the fine and performing arts
• Performing Arts Novice Teacher Award: John Donnell, first-year teacher of band and music technology at James River High
• Performing Arts Unsung Hero Award: Emily Oyan, Bird High band teacher
• Performing Arts Teachers of the Year (two winners): Connor Thompson, guitar teacher at Elizabeth Davis Middle; and Joanna Chocklett, dance teacher at Thomas Dale High

School bus road-e-o

CCPS bus drivers gathered June 3 for a road-e-o, a friendly competition to demonstrate skills needed to safely transport students. The road-e-o included spotting safety problems and navigating an obstacle course. Some school system leaders also tried driving a bus (accompanied by an experienced trainer). School Board Chair Dot Heffron, Chief of Operations Josh Davis and Transportation Director Calvin Frye only knocked over a few cones on the obstacle course!

Retrieve your student’s medication June 3-4 Parents and guardians must pick up their children’s medications from the school clinic, but the medications must be available for student use through the last day of school on May 31. All remaining student medications, including over-the-counter medications, may be picked up from the school clinic during normal school hours June 3-4. After 4 p.m. June 4, all leftover medications will be packed and turned over to the Chesterfield County Police Department for disposal. Once medications are packed for police collection, they cannot be retrieved so it is important for parents to pick up medications on time. Late pickups are not permitted, and medications cannot be stored at the school during the summer. All medications must be picked up even if your student will attend summer school. At the beginning of summer school, parents will need to provide children’s medication to the summer school coordinator at your child’s summer site. Please contact your child’s school nurse to request a copy of the medication order for all medications being administered during summer school.